A United States spy plane was shot down in Pakistan's tribal belt on Tuesday, local newspaper The News reported on Wednesday.

Pakistan's security forces and Wazir tribesmen shot down a Central Intelligence Agency-operated US Predator plane near Angoor Adda in South Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan, said the report.

The wreckage of the drone was in the custody of security forcesat a border village.

The News quoted official sources as saying that the drone had been flying over Pakistani border village since Tuesday morning.

Pakistan has reported several missile attacks in its tribal areas launched by US drones, killing scores of people. The government has protested over the cross-border attacks strongly and vowed to protect its sovereignty.

(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2008)